In order to reduce manufacturing costs for semiconductor devices, a cost for testing them needs to be reduced by shortening the test time. To this purpose, if a test equipment having a higher processing speed is developed, a handler offering a greater throughput unit per hour is also required to fully utilize the improved capability of the test equipment.
Most of semiconductor test equipments carry out test of semiconductor devices by using a Hi-Fix board having m×n sockets. That is, after aligning the Hi-Fix board of the test equipment with a test site of a handler, semiconductor devices loaded in inserts on a test tray are brought into contact with the sockets on the Hi-Fix board, so that m×n semiconductor devices can be tested at the same time. Accordingly, the sizes of the test site and the test tray are generally determined based on the size of the Hi-Fix board. In particular, the size of the test site is an important factor that determines the maximum throughput of the test handler.
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic plan view of a Hi-Fix board 10 having 128 sockets arranged in an array of 8 rows and 16 columns; and FIG. 2 sets forth a schematic front view of a main body 22, a first and a second test site 24 and 26 of a conventional vertical test handler 20 that is otherwise called a side-docking test handler, wherein each of the test sites 24 and 26 is designed to correspond to the Hi-Fix board 10 in FIG. 1.
Each of the first and the second test site 24 and 26 is of a window type formed on any one side of the main body 22, and a single test tray 28 can be placed in each of the test sites 24 and 26. The test tray 28 is accommodated in a certain section of the handler 20, and after being performed a designated internal transfer process and/or a heating/cooling process, the test tray 28 is placed in each of the first and the second test site 24 and 26 or selectively in only one of them. Disposed behind the test tray 28 is a work press (not shown) for supporting the test tray 28. The test tray 28 includes inserts 32 corresponding to the sockets 12 of the Hi-Fix board 10. The inserts 32 are arranged in an 8×16 matrix pattern, which is identical to the array of the sockets 12 on the Hi-Fix board 10. One or two semiconductor devices or packages to be tested (not shown) are loaded in each insert 32.
If the work press behind the test tray 28 moves the test tray 28 forward while the Hi-Fix board 10 of the semiconductor test equipment (not shown) is aligned with, e.g., the first test site 24 of the test handler 20, the semiconductor devices loaded in the inserts 32 of the test tray 28 are brought into contact with the sockets 12 of the Hi-Fix board 10, whereby tests of the semiconductor devices are carried out.
The Hi-Fix board 10 of the test equipment and the test tray 28 of the test handler 20 need to be configured to correspond to each other, and the Hi-Fix board 10 and the test sites 24, 26 of the test handler 20 should be matched with each other. Therefore, the sizes of the test sites 24, 26 and the test tray 28 are determined depending on the size of the Hi-Fix board. Here, given that the size of the Hi-Fix board 10 is determined by the number of the sockets 12 installed thereon, which is in turn determined by the processing speed of the test equipment and the type of test to be performed, the sizes of the test sites 24, 26 and the test tray 28 of the test handler 20 are regarded to be dependent upon the processing speed of the test equipment and the type of test as well.
For example, in case the test equipment has a maximum processing speed capable of processing 128 semiconductor devices at one time for a certain test, the Hi-Fix board 10 with the 128 sockets in the 8×16 array as shown in FIG. 1 is generally utilized. If the Hi-Fix board 10 has an external size of 404 mm×344 mm to accommodate the 8×16 sockets thereon, each of the test sites 24 and 26 of the test handler 10 is formed to have the same size as that of the Hi-Fix board 10 or slightly bigger than that. Also, the size and the pitch of the inserts 32 on the test tray 28 should be identical to those of the sockets 12 on the Hi-Fix board 10 to enable the tests of the semiconductor devices.
Conventionally, the test handler 20 is fabricated with the size of the test sites 24 and 26 and the test tray 28 permanently fixed. Thus, the test handler 20 can only be dedicated to a specific test equipment (or a test equipment having the same processing speed as that of the test equipment employed) and its exclusive Hi-Fix board 10 according to which the aforementioned size is determined. Further, the test handler 20 cannot be used for any other higher-performance test equipment or any other larger-size Hi-Fix board. More specifically, the conventional test handler 20 designed for the test equipment capable of testing 128 semiconductor devices at one time and the 8×16 Hi-Fix board 10 for use therein can only be applied to them but cannot be used for a new test equipment with a faster processing speed and a larger-size Hi-Fix board in an array of, e.g., an 8×20 matrix. This limitation in the compatibility of the conventional test handler 20 results from the fixed sizes of each test site and the test tray and also from its thereby delimited throughput (UPH: Units Per Hour).
That is to say, even if a new test equipment provides an improved capability for inspecting 160 semiconductor devices at one time for a certain test, the performance of the test equipment would not be fully manifested if the test sites and the test tray of the conventional test handler cannot be matched with a Hi-Fix board with 160 sockets (e.g., 8×20 Hi-Fix board). With regard to the conventional structure of the test handler, however, it is almost impossible to modify the test sites which were already formed. Therefore, to use the new test equipment of a higher performance, a new test handler compatible therewith must be purchased for the purpose of reducing the test time.